Plantar Fasciitis surgery, pain returned, second surgery and now have numb toes

I had my plantar fasciitis surgery and about a year later it was back. Had 2nd surgery and now have a huge scar on the bottom of my foot that hurts and numb toes. I know I need to go back to the doctor but its expensive even with insurance.

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Joshua Comments:

Thanks for sharing.

Sorry the surgeries didn't work out as you wanted them to.....

Did you have the second plantar fasciitis surgery on the same foot, or a different foot?

It sounds like the tendonitis mechanism that was already in place was made worse by the foot surgery. And hopefully the numbness is from compression from inflammation and tissue pulling back together/tightening as it 'heals' the surgery wounds. and not surgery cutting the nerve(s).

Comments for Plantar Fasciitis surgery, pain returned, second surgery and now have numb toes

Hi I had started having pain in my foot maybe a year before in 2015 it went away. So in 2016 the pain came back and wouldn’t go away I left work July 25 2016 and I’m still not working.

I have had two surgeries and I have been to PT for months in and out of hard casts and a walking boot which I have 3 of them.

My doctor says he is sending me too a nerve doctor. My ankle is now so weak it gives out on me. I have so much pain now going up the back of my leg from wearing the boot... I need help.

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Tamia.

1. Read this thread and the pages it links to. That's where one begins.

2. This is one foot or booth feet?

3. Complete or partial plantar fascia releases?

Apr 04, 2017Rating

Surgery - great for meby: Anonymous

I have been reading some of the comments about the surgery nightmares. I had PF and a spur. After the ice, stretching, orthotics, shot -surgery was the solution. Luckily for me it was the best thing I did. I have to admit I am fortunate enough to live near an outstanding facility that takes care of the Notre Dame athletes. The facility is South Bend Orthopedics. Any doctor there is fantastic.

Feb 04, 2017Rating

Permanent nerve damage after plantar fasciitis surgeryby: Dee

I had surgery 11/2015 and two days after surgery had this excruciating pain. Sharp pains , paralyzed toes and burning and tingling.

I advised the Dr and he said it's nothing it's healing from the surgery, mind you this is in a totally different area and a new pain I have never experienced before. After two and a half months recovery still the same awful pain. The Dr said it's nothing. I didn't think it was nothing.

I went to another Dr. he said you have lateral nerve damage, this second Dr advised me of this after seeing me for 5 minutes, the nerve could have been stretched too far or could be severed,

I had to go to another state to see a specialist. The nerve was damaged. The Dr did a decompression of the nerve and it didn't help.

I have now been diagnosed with permanent nerve damage and each Dr said they don't know how it has happened.

I lost my job, can't get approved for my LTD because the Dr's notes are fictitious, he said I never complained about it , he is lying I complained every two weeks and called him in between visits crying the pain was so bad.

Now I am diagnosed with permanent Nerve Damage in my left foot, can't walk on it , can't stand in the shower, use shower chair now can't enjoy life as I used to. Talked to an attorney who said if another Dr won't say this is exactly what it came from you have no case.

The patients today are in trouble, the Dr's don't want to tell on each other, they claim to be the best in the state, but can't tell me how this happened. So I am left with nothing, losing my home and my life.

Jan 22, 2017Rating

Post-Surgeryby: Roberta

I had a partial fasciectomy, along with Baxter's Neurolysis and a gloc (not sure how to spell it, but the incision was in my calf) done on Dec 1,2016 and I've already got the fasciitis back, is it normal so soon after surgery and what can I do to help it?

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Roberta.

Plantar fasciitis surgeries failing to work is entirely common, unfortunately. And they come with their own damage/trauma.

One reason that surgery 'fails' so often is that it entirely ignores all the causes of the pain and problem of the symptoms.

Oh, you 'theoretically' had an entrapped nerve? Ok. HOW did it get entrapped?

That's a question that doctors/surgeons don't ask.

But multiple factors are in play that cause nerve compression, foot pain, etc. Reverse those factors, pain goes away.

May 29, 2016Rating

the never ending pain from plantar fasciitis surgery in January 2016by: Carrie

I had surgery for severe plantar fasciitis back in January 2016 and had the Baxter nerve released at the same time both done on my left foot.

The pain started back in the beginning of 2015 while I was working as a security officer. I changed my shoes, added insoles, took pain killers, iced it, you name it I did it and nothing helped.

I saw an orthopedic doctor that June and told me that the pain was just from walking on the side of my foot. They sent me to a physical therapist and did a month of therapy which didn't help at all. They then put me in a walking cast for 6 weeks and allowed me to work with it on, but at my job I was walking 12-15 miles in a 8 hour shift.

Then they switched me to a walking boot. Then I started having nerve issues in that foot so they sent me to a neurologist which I go back to them this June to recheck everything.

I ended up switching orthopedic doctors because the pain was just out of this world. I had the shots done to ease the pain which it didn't help so we decided to go ahead and do the surgery which eased the pain some but its still there and I ended up having to quit my job because of it.

After the surgery they allowed me to go back to work 2 months full duty. I was told to just wean myself off the walking boot. No physical therapy, nothing. I have been in a walking cast and or a walking boot for 10 months now.

Now when I don't wear the walking boot I have severe pain from my ankle down and when I wear the walking boot I don't have any issues at all with pain.

What to do, NOW ?

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Carrie.

Surgery with no post-op rehab? Ouch.

I could comment on some other points, but as far as what to do now, ultimately your only real option is to go after the factors that A. caused the symptoms in the first place, B. that are still in place post-surgery because surgery ignores those factors and C. that were made worse by surgery.

For the most part, it should all be reversible.

The thing that worries me is the nerve release. Nerves don't so much like that...but if the nerve itself wasn't bruised or nicked (doesn't sound like the nerve was cut or you'd be in a world of hurt) then you should be able to get 80%-100% pain free and back to functional.

It will take daily work and diligence for a while, you've got a lot of work to do in there.

Having said that, rest, time, painkillers, etc aren't going to make things better. Your structures have been rearranged, you need to re-rearrange back into the best working order that you can.

'Tips' or 'tricks' just aren't going to get you to where you want to be.

Jun 04, 2015Rating

Never ending pain, facing second plantar fasciitis surgeryby: Beth T

I went to see a podiatrist for the first time in 2010. I was a runner, in wonderful shape, but had a reoccuring pain on my right foot. Plantar fasciitis was the diagnosis. NSAIDs, rest, ice, etc .

Pain never went away. Fast forward to 2014, after two rounds of injections, giving up my beloved running hobby, and becoming a slave to pain, podiatrist recommends surgery. Had that done March 2014. In hindsight, I now realize that my aftercare instructions were poor. I was never given a boot, just told to put my shoes back on after I healed.

Pain never went away, only got worse. Numbness, burning, sharp, ever step was and is a nightmare. Podiatrist says I have trapped nerves. Injects more crap at a feeble to break up scar tissue. Eventually tosses me a script for hydrocodone, a referral to a pain doctor, and throws me away.

Had an MRI done, and wouldn't you know it, I have plantar fasciitis. All over again. My first surgery didn't go as well as my doctor had bragged. New doctor says repeat surgery.

And I'm scared to death to go through this again.

I use a tens machine, heat, ice, muscle rubs and lidocaine creams, massage, stretching and physical therapy bands. Every day has become a fog of coping with pain and rationing out what little walking I can do.

my new doctor can't even give me any idea of whether surgery will work or not, as he's never seen a patient needing it done all over again.

If you don't reverse the factors, the problem isn't going to go away. If you don't effectively reverse the factors, then a lot of self care ends up being wasted time.

Of if you're doing ok on a couple factors but completely missing another....you're not going to get the results you want.

Surgery at best severs a major structural support in your foot. Some people like their results but a lot of people end up with more of the same and/or other foot issues from the sudden/drastic alteration of their structure.

When you speak with your doctor, I suggest that you ask the questions you'll find on this page: Quiz Your Doctor

Right after surgery I noticed my right toe and half way down my foot is numb. It hasn't gone away and when I walk on it it feels like burning tearing skin on the inside but still has the numbness feeling?

Anyone else have this. And also my scar is still not healing or sealing up and it feels like im walking on a rock.

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Andrea.

It's been 4 weeks and your surgery would hasn't sealed/healed???

Depending on what you mean by that, that's a -significant- problem.

Let's see what your doctor says about that (I bet s/he won't say it's due to nutritional lack).

The numbness in foot and toe is either due to inflammation and swelling compressing nerve and stopping sensation (kind of like stepping on a water hose), or the surgeon cut nerve while cutting other tissue.

That's another topic you need to talk to your doctor about.

Apr 21, 2014Rating

Had plantar fasciitis surgery over 10 years ago now it's backby: Terri

I can't remember exactly when but I know my surgery was over 10 years ago.

I had a heal spur & after trying cortisone shots that didn't help I decided to have surgery. I was much heavier at the time and assumed that's what caused the condition in the first place.

I can honestly say it was a success and I was pain free for all these years...until recently. I believe it's come back...I know that's the pain I'm feeling. Will be making an appointment with a podiatrist this week. Didn't know it could come back..ugh.

Has anyone else had the same experience?

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Joshua Comments:

Hi Terri.

Unfortunately, it's entirely common for pain and symptoms to return after surgery, even after 'successful' surgery.